A MANUAL 

FOR THE 

CONFIRMATION CLASS 



A MANUAL 

FOR THE 

CONFIRMATION CLASS 



BY 

WILLIAM IRVIN LAWRANCE, Th.D. 

I* 




AMERICAN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION 
25 Beacon Street Boston, Mass. 



Copyright, 19 19 

BY THE 

AMERICAN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION 



All rights reserved 



APR 10 1919 

©CLA5L2982 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 



Introduction vii 

Lessons. 

I. What is Religion? i 

II. Our Point of View 5 

III. What We See from our Point 

of View . . 10 

IV. Our Thought of God 17 

V. Living With God 23 

VI. The Unitarians ....... 30 

VII. My Own Church 36 

Notes 41 



INTRODUCTION. 



RELIGIOUS education, when well organized, 
provides for the regular promotion of 
learners from grade to grade and from depart- 
ment to department in the church school. The 
natural culmination of this process is the grad- 
uation of the older pupils into church mem- 
bership. It is in the hope of assisting in the 
preparation of these candidates to be received 
into the church that this manual has been 
prepared. 

The relation between the minister and the 
young people of his church is so sacredly per- 
sonal that any suggestion from another as to 
his methods of dealing with them in matters 
relating to their religious experience seems an 
intrusion. The author, having known the joy 
and the anxiety of such relationships, offers 
these suggestions with mingled hesitation and 
confidence. He recalls how eagerly in the 
past he has sought and welcomed the aid of 
others, and has found help in their methods 
even where he has not followed them. He 
hopes that this manual will at least stimulate 
others to develop better methods than are here 
suggested. 

vii 



INTRODUCTION 



The personal nature of the relationship here 
considered makes it all the more evident that it 
is the minister, fully as much as the young 
people, who should be prepared. His first step 
may well be to make a brief study of his local 
church's history, with, perhaps, a sermon or 
Alliance address on the place of that church — 
historical, actual and possible — in the com- 
munity. This will serve not only to renew his 
own knowledge and devotion but to rouse a 
church-consciousness on the part of the people 
that will then be felt in his confirmation class. 
He will do well also to secure from the American 
Unitarian Association the free leaflet entitled 
"A Course of Reading for Applicants for the 
Unitarian Fellowship," and follow the sugges- 
tions about reading there made. Some, at 
least, of the books referred to can be borrowed 
from the Lending Library at the headquarters 
building, and the very valuable tracts men- 
tioned are to be had for the asking. The latter 
might well be secured in such quantities as will 
supply one of each kind for every member of 
the class. Copies of the Unitarian Year Book, 
the Alliance Manual, and of the Annual Report 
of the officers of the American Unitarian Asso- 
ciation should be provided for the class to ex- 
amine. The Bulletins of the Department of 
Religious Education and of the Department of 
Community Service, and catalogues of The 



viii 



INTRODUCTION 



Beacon Press and of the Department of Relig- 
ious Education, will serve to illustrate the varied 
activities of our central missionary body. The 
more of such reading the young people can be 
led to do, the more earnestly and intelligently 
will they enter upon their church relationships 
and obligations. 

Several of our ministers have offered valued 
suggestions as to ways of conducting a confir- 
mation class. Among these the following may 
be found helpful: 

A course of lessons or conferences on James 
Freeman Clarke's familiar statement of "Our 
Faith." 

A course on the now widely adopted cove- 
nant, originally phrased by Charles Gordon 
Ames: In the love of truth, and in the spirit 
of Jesus Christ, we join for the worship of 
God and the service of man. 

Still another suggestion is that the lessons 
be presented in three groups: I. Unitarian 
History, from the Arian controversy to the 
present time. 2. Unitarian Thought and 
Doctrine. 3. Unitarian Organization. 

Studies in religion have been taken up by 
some ministers, dealing first with the great 
faiths and culminating in our Unitarian 
movement. 

ix 



INTRODUCTION 



One of our ministers treats, first, The 
Fall of Man, The Vicarious Atonement, 
and The Professions of Faith. Over against 
these he then considers The Ascent of Man, 
The Development of Personality, and Spir- 
itual Mastery of Life. 

Another gives a series of talks on The Old 
Testament, The New Testament, Jesus, The 
Christian Church, The Unitarian Church, 
What is Religion? What does it mean to be 
Good? Why do we support the Institution 
that cultivates Religion and Ethics? 

Still another, in emphasizing our doctrinal 
position, lays great stress on the church 
actual rather than " invisible," emphasizes the 
identity of faith with obedience to God's law, 
and points out that "the old theologies gave 
man a downhill theory, while ours gives an 
uphill idea," bringing all to the climax of 
belief in personal immortality. 

A minister whose confirmation classes are 
remembered by his pupils with peculiar grat- 
itude took his successive classes through a 
course which included serious studies on 
these topics : The Thought of God, of Man, 
of the Bible, of Jesus, of the Church, of 
Heaven and Hell, of Christianity, of the 
Church Universal. He also expected every 



X 



INTRODUCTION 



member to memorize certain selections from 
poems, illustrative of the topics treated. 

Those who wish to conduct the study class 
through a longer period than is contemplated 
in the seven lessons here offered, may well 
augment the course by following one or more 
of the plans thus given. The Notes that follow 
may also provide material for such prolonged 
study, since the work there indicated would in 
each case require more than a single period — 
perhaps would require several class sessions — 
to cover the ground. The material offered is 
purposely made ample, so that the class leader 
may choose what seems most promising, or 
assign different items to the various members 
of the class. 

It is earnestly recommended that when the 
candidates have been prepared for church 
membership they be received in some public 
manner. Two impressive services have been 
prepared for this purpose, and appear on pages 
8 and 13 of Volume I of "A Handbook for 
Ministers," issued by the American Unitarian 
Association. 

While this manual has been prepared with 
the minister chiefly in mind, the author is 
inclined to think that the members of the class 
might also profitably have it in their hands. 
In the study of these great themes, the group 



INTRODUCTION 



should work together for a common purpose. 
It is not finalities of dogma but a growing faith 
that we seek to establish. If this manual shall 
contribute toward the help of any earnest min- 
ister as he engages in one of the most solemn 
of his privileges, or if it helps any young man 
or woman to a serviceable faith, it will have 
accomplished its purpose. 



WHAT IS RELIGION? 



First Lesson. 

WHAT IS RELIGION? 

i. Religion is a natural experience. 

Scholars say that man is "inescapably 
religious," that our situation in a universe so 
much vaster than we are naturally inspires 
wonder, awe and reverence. It seems that 
no tribe or nation has ever been found that 
did not have some form of religion. In its 
cruder forms, religion has to do with man's 
relations with the forces of nature, and with 
whatever being or beings are supposed to be 
back of nature, that is, to God or gods. As 
men become more civilized they think more 
of their relations with one another. In this 
way religion came, in time, to include morals, 
or matters of conduct, including even our 
feelings toward others. Finally, men saw 
that our reverence for God and our conduct 
toward and thoughts about others depend 
upon what we are in our own hearts. So, 
the three laws of religion, as it has progressed, 
seem to be, Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy- 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



self, and Thou shalt keep thy heart with all 
diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. 

In studying about religion, then, we do 
not go outside our own interests. We are 
born into a religious atmosphere, and are 
part of a great religious movement. The 
religious life is our normal life, the only one 
in which we can be really happy or success- 
ful. In making such a study, we seek to 
understand religion, and to learn how to live 
the religious life intelligently and helpfully. 
In other words, we seek to know how to reach 
our own highest development and to do in 
the best way our part in the world. 

2. Religion, like every other great idea or 
impulse, brings people together into groups. 
There are certain great religions in the 
world, and in most of these there are 
smaller groups, usually called sects or de- 
nominations. 

The "great" religions that are usually 
named together are such as Brahminism, 
Buddhism, Parsism, Confucianism, Judaism, 
Mohammedanism and Christianity. In 
Christianity there are three main divisions, 
the Greek Catholic, the Roman Catholic, and 
the Protestant. Among Protestants there 



WHAT IS RELIGION? 



are many sects, the principal ones of which are 
known to us. Our own body, the Unitarian, 
is one of these. 

Each great religion or sect may be consid- 
ered apart from any others, its history, size, 
organization, beliefs and practices being tab- 
ulated and studied. A better way to study 
these movements, however, is to start with 
the fundamental impulse that we call relig- 
ion, to trace the growth of that impulse as it 
affects and is affected by climate, political 
history, vital human interests and the growth 
of knowledge, and to see each religious body as 
the expression and embodiment of some phase 
or outcropping of a common movement. 

3. Thus, religions have come out of relig- 
ion. These have their history, not only as 
they are separately developed but as they 
come from, lead to and affect each other. 

Every known religious body may be — prob- 
ably is — the child of older movements and 
the parent of those that may follow. No 
church can be fully understood without refer- 
ence to its vital connection with others. 
Attempts to inaugurate religious movements 
without relation to existing or historical 
movements, by adopting beliefs and bringing 

3 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



together passages from the world's script- 
ures, regardless of their origin, have usually 
resulted in failure. Religions cannot be 
made; they must grow. 

Our own history as Unitarians is thus in- 
separably connected with that of others. 
Our ancestry runs thus: Hebrew, Early 
Christian, Greek, Roman, Protestant, Uni- 
tarian. The Hebrews established the idea 
of One God. Jesus and his disciples made it 
clear that this One God has a parental love 
for all mankind, and demands righteousness 
of all. The Greeks set the followers of Jesus 
to philosophizing about their beliefs and 
feelings, and so developed theology. The 
Romans organized those followers into a 
compact body, keeping them compact by 
forbidding them to do any more independent 
thinking, and subjecting them in all matters 
to the priesthood. The Protestants liber- 
ated the church from this tyranny, made 
each one feel a sense of personal responsibil- 
ity, and then, not fully trusting their own 
fundamental principle, set up an infallible 
Bible instead of the absolute Church, and 
once more tried to stop people from thinking 
out and improving their religious faith. 
Liberalism, or Unitarianism, restored full 
liberty, making each mind, as well as each 
heart and life, responsible to God alone. 



4 



OUR POINT OF VIEW 



Second Lesson. 

OUR POINT OF VIEW. 

I. While there are wide differences be- 
tween religious bodies, they have much in 
common. 

Most Christians regard Sunday as their 
holy day; the Seventh Day Baptists and the 
Seventh Day Adventists observe Saturday; 
the Hebrews regard Saturday as their Sab- 
bath. Baptists immerse their candidates in 
water; Methodists do the same if desired, 
but usually place a few drops of water on the 
head. Most other Christian churches use 
only this latter method, while the Friends, 
or Quakers, use no form of baptism at all. 
Equal differences are seen in the services of 
worship, from the Catholic ritual to Quaker 
simplicity, and in doctrine, from those who 
regard the Bible as the infallibly inspired 
word of God and Jesus as God himself, to 
those who think of the Bible as a book of 
Hebrew and Early Christian writings, and 
Jesus as a pure, Godlike man. 



s 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



Despite all these differences, the various 
religions have much in common. Even their 
rites and ceremonies, as well as their doc- 
trines, have often a close connection in his- 
tory and in meaning. Of especial impor- 
tance is the fact that good people, saintly in 
character, full of good works, are found in 
them all. People of all creeds generally 
agree that the justification of forms and 
doctrines is found in their ability to promote 
purified and ennobled character. There is 
a tendency in all churches to come constantly 
nearer to each other. The really great- 
hearted members of the various churches 
recognize the kinship of aspiring hearts and of 
good lives, wherever found, and are observed 
to fellowship with each other most freely. 

2. Of more importance than ceremony 
and belief is the personal attitude, or point 
of view. 

In the old story, two knights fought a 
bloody battle over the composition of a 
shield, one declaring it was silver, the other, 
gold. In fact, it was silver on one side and 
gold on the other. Each might have said, — 
perhaps all people who dispute might say, — 
"If you will stand where I do, you will see 
what I see." So there is not much use in 

6 



OUR POINT OF VIEW 



debating points of difference. The way to 
come to any kind of understanding is to 
"get together." By working together and 
worshipping together people do really get 
together, and so understand each other. 

This does not mean that the differences 
between churches are unimportant. In fact, 
they may be very important. Our beliefs 
may be rational, or they may be irrational; 
they may comfort us in sorrow and sustain 
us in our moral crises, or they may depress 
and weaken us. So our customs of worship 
may stimulate to high purposes and earnest 
endeavor after the holiest life, or they may 
become of so exaggerated importance in our 
view that, having scrupulously observed 
them, we may feel that our whole duty is 
done, so that it matters little how we live in 
other particulars. Each one should, there- 
fore, know what his own church believes and 
what are its practices, and should under- 
stand the reasons for them. He should 
strive to gain all the good they are able to 
provide. But he should also be reverent 
toward the beliefs and practices of other 
earnest people, even when they are not such 
as he can accept. 

3. Much depends, then, upon our having, 
or getting, the right point of view. We 

7 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



may not, at first, be able to determine just 
what that is, in detail, but it ought at least 
to have certain characteristics. 

(1) Our point of view should be broad. 
We cannot think of God, the Creator of all, 
as partial, wilfully revealing truth to some 
and withholding it from others; or as arbi- 
trarily selecting some for salvation and con- 
demning others to eternal torment; or as 
making the way to "salvation" depend on a 
single episode of past history, or the ac- 
ceptance of a dogma whose meaning we can- 
not grasp, or on the exact observance of 
some ceremony. "Salvation" cannot mean 
merely getting into heaven, or even "my own 
best good," but the upbuilding of society, — 
what Jesus called the bringing in of the 
Kingdom of God. 

(2) Our point of view should be rational. 
We shall realize that we each have only one 
mind, so that whether we study history, or 
science, or art, or religion, there is only one 
way in which knowledge can come to us. 
We cannot believe any doctrine to be true 
which is contrary to reason, nor believe that 
God would be justified in doing what would 
be shameful if we did the same. We shall 
expect to find things in religion that we can- 

8 



OUR POINT OF VIEW 



not verify for ourselves, just as we do in 
history and in science. In all these we will 
"keep the open mind," seek knowledge, and, 
while gladly learning from those who have 
studied deeply and seem, therefore, to be 
competent to teach, we will still maintain an 
independent judgment. 

(3) Our point of view should be earnest, 
even reverent. We should be earnest and 
reverent in all our studies; supremely so 
when we study religion. Here we think 
about and try to know God. We are deal- 
ing with the profoundest of human ex- 
periences. We are handling man's greatest 
concerns. We must have a clear head, but 
we must also have generous impulses and a 
friendly heart. Most of all, we must pursue 
our quest with the supreme purpose of be- 
coming better persons ourselves and of mak- 
ing this world a better world than it is. 

The Unitarian faith has these qualities. 
It is admirably fitted to lead us to truth, 
which is man's greatest need, and to inspire 
us to work for the promotion of the kingdom 
of God, which is our highest duty. Our 
church has, therefore, a rightful claim upon 
our loyalty. 



9 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



Third Lesson. 

WHAT WE SEE 
FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW. 

I. The main characteristic of the Unita- 
rian church is its point of view. In any 
study of Unitarianism it is more important 
to ask "why" than to ask "what" in re- 
gard to our beliefs, our practices and our 
history. 

Because we try to be at once broad and 
rational, we do not expect all people to ex- 
press their convictions in the same words, 
either in religion or in other matters. Minds 
being different, conclusions will differ. It is 
better that people should be free to express 
these differences than that they should all 
claim to believe alike when in reality they do 
not. That is why we have no authoritative 
creeds, or common expressions of doctrine. 
We have, as individuals, very clear and 
earnestly-held beliefs. Every person, that 
is, has a creed of his own. But we ask no 

10 



WHAT WE SEE FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW 



one to accept another person's creed, save 
as it commends itself to reason. 

Because we see how large a matter we are 
dealing with, and know that in all matters 
knowledge grows from age to age, we do not 
try to keep one set of doctrines intact. We 
do not pride ourselves on believing just what 
our Unitarian forefathers did. To do so 
would be to say that no new knowledge has 
come, that the human mind has not advanced. 
Because we try to be both rational and 
earnest, we feel that right beliefs and prac- 
tices are those which, at once, accord with 
reason and tend to promote the good life. It 
is important to have right views. It is more 
important to live a right life, pure and help- 
ful. Therefore the reason why we study 
theology and try to arrive at just views is 
that in this way we may better understand 
God and his truth, and may learn what our 
part is in promoting the good life. ^ r And the 
reason we maintain churches and observe 
religious forms is that by such means we are 
stimulated to be better persons and to do 
more for the world's good. 

Notwithstanding our refusal to try to 
compel uniformity in belief and practices — 
perhaps because of our taking that course — 
there is substantial agreement among us re- 
garding the most important matters. "The 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



things most commonly believed among us" 
are frequently set forth, not with any at- 
tempt at authority or finality, but as an aid 
to mutual understanding and a stimulation 
to further study. The differences as well as 
the agreements among these statements of 
faith serve to emphasize the supreme im- 
portance of our point of view and the minor 
importance of those theological conclusions 
we have for the moment reached. As il- 
lustrations of these principles we may take 
up two matters that are much in dispute 
among the churches, beliefs about the Bible 
and about Jesus. 

2. What we see in the Bible. 

The Bible is a large book made up of sixty- 
six different writings, thirty-nine of which 
were written before Jesus was born and con- 
stitute the Old Testament, the other twenty- 
seven having been written after Jesus died 
and constituting the New Testament. The 
authors of these writings are for the most 
part unknown. The Old Testament con- 
tains myths, legends, histories, laws, poems, 
prophecies (sermons), proverbs and other 
kinds of writing, relating to Hebrew life and 
thought. The New Testament contains four 
versions of the life and teachings of Jesus 



12 



WHAT WE SEE FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW 



(three of them very much alike, the fourth 
quite different), the story of what happened 
to the followers of Jesus after his death, a 
group of letters written to churches and in- 
dividuals, and one sample of a strange kind 
of prophecy, the so-called Book of Revela- 
tion. 

We find in the Bible some of the greatest 
utterances ever penned. No writings that 
did not contain lofty passages could have 
survived through so many thousands of 
years, or could have been regarded as " sa- 
cred" by such multitudes of people. The 
antiquity and history of the Bible, its great 
variety of topics and style, and the fact that 
it has been set apart as " Scripture" and as 
such valued and loved above every other 
book, should lead us to read it with pleasure 
and study parts of it with care. We give 
very great weight to its high teachings. 
We may well rank it as the greatest among 
books, carrying, therefore, a certain au- 
thority, especially where it deals with morals 
and faith. But we cannot accept, even in 
the Bible, statements that our reason de- 
clares to be untrue, or teachings about con- 
duct that our consciences reject as wrong. 

We shall of course find errors in such a 
varied collection of writings. The various 
books bear the impress and set forth the 

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A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



views of the times in which they were 
written. Knowing this, we cannot hold, as 
some do, that the Bible is " infallible," or 
that it is "the only rule" of life. Expecting 
errors, we are not disturbed by finding them. 
But it is not the errors, it is the many help- 
ful passages in the Bible for which we look. 
Its words help us to understand some of the 
mysteries of life, shame us for our sins, and 
inspire us to nobler living. It is for such 
help that we go to the Bible, not to find texts 
that will settle matters of belief. 

3. What we see in Jesus. 

There are two questions we should ask 
ourselves with regard to Jesus. One is, 
What do we think about him? The other 
is, How do we feel toward him? The first 
of these is the question the theologians have 
for the most part studied and discussed to- 
gether. But the second question is the more 
important. 

a. Who was Jesus? He was a Jew, living 
in Palestine, who was so influential that the 
whole Christian church grew out of his 
teaching, even our way of reckoning time 
dating back to him. So highly did people 
come to think of him that after his death they 
began to say that he had been miraculously 

14 



WHAT WE SEE FROM OUR POINT OF MEW 



born, just as followers of Buddha said of their 
great leader. These birth stories in the 
Gospels — like those in the Buddhist writings 
— are very beautiful. They give a touch of 
art, of romance, of poetry, to the life-story of 
Jesus, and are fittingly recalled at the Christ- 
mas season. They cannot, however, be re- 
garded as historical. We are sure that Jesus 
grew up under wise and earnest religious 
guidance; that he not only believed but was 
profoundly moved by the religious teaching 
of his people; that he was of such winning 
personality and moral power that others 
gladly gave themselves to his leading; that 
he led those who came to know his message 
to see life and faith and duty so much more 
largely that they at last separated themselves 
from all existing religious , organizations and 
formed a new body, the Christian Church. 
In that church, while it has gone through 
many changes during nineteen hundred years, 
the personal influence of Jesus has persisted, 
so that thousands of people, today, are liv- 
ing nobler lives because of what he said and 
•did and was. He is, therefore, the most 
important person in all history. 

b. Our second question about Jesus is, 
How do we feel toward him? One may know 
all that is to be known about him and yet not 
have any personal interest in him. In that 

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A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



case, knowledge about Jesus is worth no 
more than knowledge about birds, or flowers, 
or crystals. How, then, ought we to feel 
toward Jesus? Respect comes first, respect 
for one who was so true to his ideals that he 
endured a terrible death rather than be false 
to them; who had power so to win loyalty to 
himself that during his lifetime and through 
all the centuries since he has transformed 
many lives; who saw so clearly into matters 
of faith and life that in all these generations 
people have not outgrown his main teachings. 
Then, we may really love him, perhaps all 
the more because he is not now living in the 
body. We ought to feel stirred by his words 
and by his character, and may well give our 
lives into his keeping, in the sense that we 
feel sure that if we live according to his 
principles and example, we shall live worth- 
ily. Most of all, perhaps, we may attach 
ourselves with him to his cause, and become 
in our time and sphere, as he was in his, 
leaders in the search for truth, in the cleans- 
ing of the world from evil, in the inspiring of 
men and women to live according to the 
highest ideals. 



16 



OUR THOUGHT OF GOD 



Fourth Lesson. 
OUR THOUGHT OF GOD. 

1. The thought of God is central in all 
religious thinking and living. 

Whatever our form of religion or our theo- 
ries about the universe, we seem unable to 
get away from the thought that God is. Be- 
lieving that God exists, we must believe that 
He is supreme; all things take their meaning 
from Him; our fate is entirely in His hands; 
all known things bring us so much knowl- 
edge of Him; what we do not know but may 
some time know is so much more knowledge 
of Him that we are yet to have; what is 
beyond human experience or investigation 
(such as the facts about life after death) we 
learn to " leave with God in faith," sure 
that it must somehow be right. 

2. People have always believed in some 
kind of divine or superhuman beings. 

Ignorant savages, seeing things happen 
with no human cause at work, supposed that 

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A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



invisible spirits were present and active. As 
the world grew wiser, men said that these 
happenings resulted from the workings of 
" natural laws." But the wisest still say 
that even these natural laws are best under- 
stood as expressions of an infinite World 
Power. Instead of saying " spirits" or 
"gods," we now say "God." So from many 
gods we have come to One, for which idea 
we are, as we have seen, chiefly indebted to 
the Hebrews; but the idea is accepted and 
supported by the fullest modern knowledge 
and reasoning. We believe in God — in One 
God — because our minds are so made that 
we need the sense of unity, of harmony, as 
well as of belief in some kind of purpose in 
the world and in our lives. 

3. We find God in nature and in the 
happenings of life. 

We have just been seeing that that is the 
case. God as Creator, or as Power, seems to 
have been the first impression men had, and 
it is equally strong today. Many hymns 
and poems express this idea. We feel the 
thrill of an Unseen Presence in a storm or 
earthquake, or when viewing a great harvest 
or a great disaster. The sense of an Almighty 

18 



OUR THOUGHT OF GOD 



Power lies at the root of the profoundest 
religious experience. But with power goes 
grace, beauty, providence; the smoothness 
with which the stars move through the sky; 
the delicacy of the petals of a violet; the 
glory of the sunset; the care with which the 
tiniest insect is protected, all move us toward 
faith in the Creator. A great astronomer 
said, "I read the thoughts of God after Him." 
We find God in nature. If He made the 
universe, then we have only to study how 
things are put together to know how God 
works. And to know how any being or any 
person works is to know a great deal about 
him. 



4. We find God within ourselves. 

If God made us, as well as the stars, then 
we read his thoughts after him when we look 
into our own selves, our bodies, our minds, 
our souls. Just as every part of my body 
was given to me by the earth (which had 
received it from God) so every fact I know, 
every bit of strength I have, every desire or 
aspiration of my heart, came to me from 
the same source. We are strong then, not 
only in body but in spirit, in proportion as 
we keep in contact with God, the source of 

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A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



all power. We may test this for ourselves. 
Note how much stronger we are when we 
know that we are in the right than when we 
know we are in the wrong, or even have 
doubts about it. A wise man said, long ago, 
that "the wicked flee when no man pursueth, 
but the righteous are bold as a lion." An- 
other wise man said, "Be strong in the Lord" 
The same is true also in our mental activity. 
He who desires to know only what is true, 
as the real scientists do, has a clearer mind 
than he who is trying to sustain himself in a 
doubtful argument. The best way to view 
the universe is to see it as God's creation. 
The best way to think of ourselves is as God's 
children. To desire truth is to wish to read 
God's thoughts and so to unite ourselves men- 
tally with Him. To do right is to work with 
God and so be strong in Him. 

5. We find God in the experience of 
others. 

People differ in their ability to come into 
contact with God. A person who knows 
botany will see a hundred times as much in 
crossing a field as another one does who, 
however learned, does not happen to know the 
plants. An educated person differs from one 



20 



OUR THOUGHT OF GOD 



who is uneducated mainly in that he has a 
larger number of contacts with truth. So 
we all "sit at the feet" of learned men. But 
there is something that is not exactly learn- 
ing that is important also; perhaps we may 
call it wisdom. It is the ability to under- 
stand the meaning of things. People who 
only know are our teachers about facts; 
people who have wisdom are our teachers 
about the way we should feel and live. It is 
not that God selects these people and shows 
them what he hides from others. God has 
no favorites. All truth and wisdom are 
freely revealed to every one, but not all have 
equal ability to see and understand. So we 
have teachers — " authorities" we call them — 
in religion, as well as in science. The world's 
great leaders in religion, such as Channing, 
Wesley, Fox, Luther, St. Augustine, and, 
supremely, Jesus, speak with a certain au- 
thority in these matters. This is not be- 
cause they have been somehow detailed and 
commissioned of God, or have been miracu- 
lously kept from errors, but because they 
have been so constituted in their minds and 
hearts that they have been able to see more 
clearly into the great problems of thought 
and life than the rest of us. We do not sur- 
render our reason to any or all of these, but 
we gladly avail ourselves of their help; and, 



21 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



seeing how wise they are in matters about 
which we are able to judge, we incline to 
accept as true (subject always to later cor- 
rection) what they tell us in matters beyond 
our own power to know. 



LIVING WITH GOD 



Fifth Lesson. 
LIVING WITH GOD. 

1. We do, as a matter of fact, live con- 
stantly with God. 

The starry universe; the globe on which 
we live; the development of life, culminat- 
ing in humanity; our bodies and their sus- 
tainment by food and drink and air; our 
minds, with ability to learn, to remember, 
to love, to hate, to aspire; our sense of 
right, our instinctive preference for what is 
true and honest and pure, — all these con- 
stitute a marvel infinitely surpassing any 
related in any book. They are manifesta- 
tions of God. And they all mean, as Paul 
said, that "in Him we live and move and 
have our being." 

2. We may cultivate the ability to realize 
this constant presence of God in our per- 
sonal l'ves. 

The artist trains himself to see beauty 
everywhere; students and teachers of morals 

23 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



are always seeing " right" and " wrong" 
things being done; we all see what we look 
for. So we may learn to see God in all things, 
to feel God in all high emotions and in all 
worthy acts. The habit may well be formed 
of testing our thoughts and our acts by this 
high standard. Are they Godlike? Are they 
in harmony with what I know of God's ways, 
or with my conception of His nature? Per- 
haps what we really mean by " right" and 
" wrong" is that some things accord with 
and others are contrary to our highest 
thought of God. Conscience is thus a sort 
of tribunal before which we bring our acts 
and our very thoughts, to see if they accord 
with what we believe to be God's will. Also, 
we can refer our commonest experiences and 
doings to Him. The epistle of James says, 
"Ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall 
live, and do this, or that." Many have 
found this thought of the constant presence 
of a Divine Monitor a safeguard and an 
inspiration, and multitudes have testified 
that the thought of the Divine Companion 
is the happiest and richest of all experi- 
ences. 



24 



LIVING WITH GOD 



3. The thought of living with God helps 
us to understand the best things. 

Why was Jesus, a poor carpenter of Naz- 
areth, so influential? It is because he " lived 
with God." He talked about God as fa- 
miliarly as he would have done about his 
own father and mother. His one purpose 
— he called it his meat and his drink — was 
to know and to do his Heavenly Father's 
will. So, it was God in him, not just him- 
self, that made him so great. Why do we 
revere the Bible above other books? Be- 
cause, while it contains errors, as other books 
do, and other books have the same quality 
of " inspiration" that it has, the writers 
were, on the whole, more in the habit of 
" living with God" than other authors have 
been. People who study these Biblical writ- 
ings feel that power as they read. Why do 
we feel a thrill when we read or hear great 
thoughts, or see a glorious sunset or land- 
scape, or experience a violent storm at sea, 
or witness or hear about a fine act of heroism? 
And why do we have such a sense of satis- 
faction when we decide to do the right thing 
at whatever cost? Because God is in these, 
and the God that is in us responds to it, 
much as one piano or violin string will vi- 
brate when another does. 



25 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



4. The worst punishment for sin is that 
it blunts this sense of God's presence, and 
the greatest reward of righteousness is that 
it makes us quick and sensitive to that 
presence. 

When we first do wrong we feel guilty. 
That sense of guilt is like the sense of pain 
which protects our bodies from being de- 
stroyed. The next time we do the wrong 
act we feel less guilty, until, if we persist in 
it, we finally lose all sense of shame. That 
is the most terrible loss that could come to 
us. On the other hand, when even a bad 
person does a good deed, or remembers 
something beautiful from his innocent youth, 
he feels a thrill of mingled shame and joy. 
If he follows this up his satisfactions grow, 
until he may become " normal" again in his 
moral life. Growth in goodness and growth 
in badness are alike changes in sensitiveness 
to high things. Any one, wherever he is in 
the moral scale, may grow in either direc- 
tion. Real satisfaction comes when the 
divine nature within us responds to the 
divine spirit all about us. The great Au- 
gustine said, "O God, thou hast made us 
for thyself, and our hearts are restless until 
we find rest in thee." 

26 



LIVING WITH GOD 



5. We may live with God in our work. 

Jesus is reported to have said, "My Father 
worketh even until now, and I work." This 
is a good motto for us to adopt. The doc- 
trine of evolution teaches that the force of 
nature (or, as we should say, the power of 
God) brought the development of the world 
up to the appearance of man, since which 
time man himself has taken hold of the same 
task and works with nature. Every effort 
to make ourselves or others better, or to 
make this world a better place in which to 
live is a continuation of evolution, in which 
nature and man, or, let us say, God and man, 
unite. That is what Paul meant when he 
said, "We are workers together with God." 
All honorable effort to feed, clothe and shelter 
ourselves and others, to teach, heal, protect, 
rescue, or in any way to serve our fellow-men, 
is not only work for God but work with God. 
The materials we use, the plans we follow, 
the impulse that prompts to generous effort 
are all from Him. We are admitted to part- 
nership with God whenever we put forth any 
effort to promote what is right. We may — 
we should — feel the thrill of the divine energy 
as we thus clasp hands with God. Then 
would Jesus' prayer be answered: "That they 
all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me 
and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." 



27 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



6. These actual contacts with God lead to 
the highest experience, that of " knowing 
God by faith." 

Knowledge is limited, experience is of 
necessity within a narrow circle, but the mind 
and heart reach out beyond both. We hope, 
desire, aspire, and we fear, in matters we 
cannot see or (in any usual meaning of the 
word) know. Can we find God in that 
unexplored region? The testimony of the 
most developed souls in all the centuries is 
that we can find God even there, and that so 
to find him is our highest privilege. The 
mathematician believes that two and two 
are four everywhere; the chemist, that sub- 
stances will always react in the same way 
under given conditions; the astronomer, 
that rules of measurement that are reliable 
on the earth are equally reliable in the 
heavenly spaces, — and yet not one of these 
scholars can verify his assumption. It is by 
precisely the same faith that we believe that 
justice, honesty, purity, love, are inwrought 
into the very fibre of the universe, so that 
it is always safe to act according to these 
principles; that they hold in all the stages 
of each life as well as through the generations, 
and that they do not cease for us even when 
the body dies. So we meet life, and death, 

28 



LIVING WITH GOD 



with all they may bring to us, after the man- 
ner of the man of God of whom it was said 
that "he endured, as seeing Him who is 
invisible." 



29 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



Sixth Lesson. 
THE UNITARIANS. 

I. The name "Unitarian." 

In 1 568, several sects of Liberal Christians 
in Transylvania united in a single body, and 
became known on that account as the 
Unitarii, that is, Unitarians, or The United 
Ones. That name seems to have been car- 
ried across to England where it was applied 
to people whose faith happened to be similar 
to theirs. From England the name was 
brought to America. Having lost its origi- 
nal meaning, it came finally to designate 
persons holding certain beliefs. 

There is, however, another reason why we 
are — and should be — called Unitarians. We 
believe in the Unity of God, as against the 
doctrine of the Trinity. When our church 
began in England, and later, in America, 
people generally believed in the Trinity in a 
way in which it is now rarely if ever held. 
God the Father, God the Son, and God the 
Holy Ghost were three very distinct persons, 
although united in one " Godhead." This 

30 



THE UNITARIANS 



doctrine the progressive Christians rejected, 
reaffirming the teaching of Jesus, which is 
the teaching of the Bible in both the Old and 
the New Testaments, that there is One God, 
who is over all. On this account they were 
called Unitarians. The name was not chosen 
by them, but was given them by their op- 
ponents, much as the names " Methodist" 
and " Quaker" were given to other bodies of 
Christians. In each case the name given in 
derision has become a title of honor. 

2. Unitarians unite and form a Church. 

As early as 1750 there were many ministers 
of our faith in New England. In 1782, one 
of these, James Freeman, became minister of 
King's Chapel, and this, the first Episcopal 
Church in New England, then became the 
first Unitarian Church in America. In 1800, 
the original Pilgrim Church, in Plymouth, 
became openly Unitarian. In 1819 Dr. 
Channing preached his famous " Baltimore 
Sermon," which was such a ringing challenge 
that it is often spoken of as the real begin- 
ning of the Unitarian denomination. One 
year later, 1820, the Berry Street Conference 
was formed, for the purpose of bringing cler- 
gymen of Unitarian faith into fellowship. 
In 1825 the American Unitarian Association 



31 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



was organized, and by that act the denomi- 
nation, as such, began its career. 

3. The American Unitarian Association. 

The American Unitarian Association is the 
central missionary agency of Unitarians in 
this country. It maintains headquarters in 
its own building, at 25 Beacon Street, Boston. 
It is supported by the income from part of 
the invested funds, from life memberships 
(fifty dollars each) and from contributions of 
churches and individuals. Its organization 
includes a President, eight Vice-Presidents, 
Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer, 
and eighteen Directors, all elected at the 
Annual Meeting of the Association. These 
officers determine the kinds of work to be 
undertaken, choose the persons who are to 
be entrusted with this work, and determine 
what expenditures shall be made for the 
promotion of education, the printing and 
circulation of books and pamphlets, the 
planting of new churches and the assistance 
of those not able to maintain themselves, 
and the various philanthropies which com- 
mend themselves. Fraternal relations are 
maintained with liberal Christian churches 
and persons in various foreign countries, 
particularly in Japan. The same fraternal 



32 



THE UNITARIANS 



and co-operative relations are sustained with 
churches and denominations of other faiths 
wherever possible. Preachers, lecturers and 
organizers are kept in the field to promote 
efficiency in existing Unitarian agencies, to 
establish such organizations where they do 
not exist, and to contribute in all possible 
ways to the enlightenment of men and women 
in matters pertaining to religion and human 
well-being. 

4. Other Unitarian organizations. 

The Unitarian Sunday School Society was 
begun in 1827, two years after the organiza- 
tion of the American Unitarian Association. 
It maintained a separate existence until 
191 2, when, without giving up its charter or 
its organization, it transferred its activities 
to the Department of Religious Education of 
the American Unitarian Association. 

The General Conference of Unitarian and 
Other Christian Churches (until 191 1 called 
the National Conference) was formed in 
1864 "to consider the interests of our cause, 
and to institute measures for its good." It 
meets once in two years, its sessions being 
notable for the presentation of high thought 
and the consideration of plans for the promo- 
tion of knowledge and Christian citizenship. 



35 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



District Conferences have been formed, 
some representing large portions of the 
United States and Canada, some covering 
States, and others, especially in New Eng- 
land, including small geographical sections 
in which our churches are numerous. In 
these conferences theological, ethical and 
educational questions are discussed and steps 
taken to promote the interests of pure re- 
ligion. 

The Alliance, which is the women's or- 
ganization in the Unitarian body, began as 
The Woman's Auxiliary, in 1891. It main- 
tains headquarters at 25 Beacon Street, 
Boston. There are Branch Alliances in 
nearly all Unitarian churches. Both locally 
and denominationally the Alliance is exceed- 
ingly active in sustaining religious work, in 
promoting education, and in assisting in every 
good cause. 

Three theological schools prepare candi- 
dates for our ministry: The Harvard Di- 
vinity School, Cambridge, Mass., established 
in 1816; The Meadville (Pa.) Theological 
School, opened in 1844; The Pacific School 
for the Ministry, Berkeley, Cal., established 
in 1904. The Tuckerman School, in Boston, 
prepares religious workers in the Sunday- 
school, the church and general philan- 
thropies. Hackley School, Tarrytown-on- 

34 



THE UNITARIANS 



Hudson, and Proctor Academy, Andover, 
N.H., are under Unitarian auspices. 

The ministers of the denomination have 
for their special benefit, in addition to the 
Berry Street Conference, already mentioned, 
the Ministers' Institute, organized in 1876, 
and meeting once in two years, alternately 
with the General Conference; the Ministerial 
Union, organized in 1864, and a considerable 
number of local groups, all aiming to promote 
ministerial fellowship and efficiency. In ad- 
dition there are a number of philanthropic 
organizations, wholly or partly under Uni- 
tarian auspices. 



35 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



Seventh Lesson. 
MY OWN CHURCH. 

[Since the facts to be brought out under this topic are different 
in the case of each church, the material here offered is in the 
nature of suggestions for study.] 

1. The history of my church. 

Date and reason for its founding, relation 
to other churches at the start, subsequently 
and now; its size in proportion to other 
churches in the neighborhood; the prominent 
persons in this community who have been or 
are now connected with my church; has 
there been any connection between the 
teachings or customs of this church and the 
part its members have taken in public affairs? 

2. The present place of my church in the 
community. 

How is it related to the educational or 
charitable organizations; how many of its 
men and women are officers of or active in 
any of these; is there any good work in prog- 
ress that we are not connected with; is there 

36 



MY OWN CHURCH 



any section of our town, or any part of the 
whole population that is not now touched 
by our church work; has it any duties 
toward the community that are not met; is 
this church hospitable to the poor, and to 
foreigners; could the church building be 
opened at other times than it now is, and if 
so, for what uses? 

3. My own relationship to my church. 

If oorn and brought up in one of its 
families, what have I inherited from its past 
and present ministers, teachers and members? 
If I have left the church in which I was 
brought up, can I, and should I, repay that 
debt by serving this church? Is there any- 
thing that my church is now doing, or any- 
thing which I see it might do, in which I can 
help? Have I a right to accept the benefits 
this church gives me and do nothing in re- 
turn? Am I justified, even, in living in a 
community that has been made better by 
this church without doing something to 
strengthen it? Should I wait before joining 
this church until I see some definite thing I 
can do for it or through it, or should I con- 
sider that my membership is itself a help, 
and that as a member I am more likely to 
see what is to be done, and do it? 



37 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



What can the church do for me? Am I as 
good a person — as kind, patient, pure, 
earnest, reverent — as I should be, and as 
the church may help me to become? Am I 
more likely to feel the influence of the church, 
its worship and its activities, as a member 
than as a non-member? Will the fact that 
I take a public stand, in becoming a member, 
help me to carry out my good intentions? 
Will doing these things with others, and 
under an open avowal with them of a religious 
purpose, help me to become a better person? 

Is the church to be regarded as a "saints' 
rest," a place where people who have al- 
ready become good unite to enjoy their 
blessed state, or as a company of those who 
are striving to know more about religion, to 
cultivate religion in their own lives, and to 
work with others both to become better 
and to make the world better? Should I, 
then, wait until I feel that I am "good 
enough" to join, or should I join now because 
I want to become better, and to that end seek 
help through the church? 

What help in living a religious life is one 
likely to receive in the many "offices" of the 
church? For example, what good may come 
through the service of baptism, — whether of 
a child or of an adult? What form of bap- 
tism seems to me most likely to be helpful? 

38 



MY OWN CHURCH 



Why do people such as I know observe the 
communion service? Would it perhaps help 
me? Should baptism, or communion, or 
any other ceremonial, be required of church 
members? On the other hand, am I justified 
in not considering them as possible helps? 
Is anything to be neglected that may help one 
to live a good life? 

4. My present attitude to religion. 

(1) Let each member of the class write 
out his views on religion. Encourage them 
to do this freely, not hesitating because of 
lack of clear notions, since such an effort 
will help to clarify their ideas. These 
" creeds" should not be made public in any 
way, save with the full consent of those who 
prepare them. 

(2) Let each one write out a prayer, setting 
forth the things most seriously desired. It 
may be well for the class, preferably without 
guidance from any older person, to compose 
a group prayer, each contributing toward it, 
aiming to make it, when completed, express 
the real aspirations of all. Such a composite 
prayer may well be put into permanent 
form for the members to use in their sub- 
sequent lives, and preserved as a class me- 
morial. 



39 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



(3) Finally, let each member write down 
his conclusion as to joining or not joining the 
church at this time, or at any time, and the 
reasons therefor. This document should 
be strictly private, save as it may be shown 
to and perhaps talked over with the minister. 



40 



NOTES AND REFERENCES 
For Further Study. 



Lesson L 

Scriptures, Job 9: 1-12; 26; 28; 37 to 41; Ps. 18 
(an earthquake), 19 (day and night), 29 (thunder- 
storm). Read Matt. 13, and note how freely 
Jesus drew upon nature for illustrations of his 
teaching. See also Paul's broad interpretation of 
a so-called "heathen" worship, in Acts 17: 22-31. 

Hymns, in Hymn and Tune Book, Nos. 49, 69, 
73. See especially 

75. Go not, my soul, in search of him. 
84. Hath not thy heart within thee burned? 
100. Where is thy God, my soul? 

Tracts. 

62. Religion its own Evidence, by George 
Batchelor. 

119. Why go to Church? by H. H. Mott. 

280. The Religious Convictions of an American 
Citizen, by William H. Taft. 
For those willing to go a little deeper into the 
subject two in the "Memorable Sermons" series 
are to be commended; 15, Starr King's "Spiritual 
Christianity," and 19, C. C. Everett's "The One 
Religion." 

41 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



Landmark Discourses. Channing's "Unitarian 
Christianity," delivered in Baltimore in 1819, 
Emerson's "Divinity School Address," 1838, and 
Parker's "The Transient and Permanent in Chris- 
tianity," 1 841, are regarded by many as forming, 
together, the "charter" of Unitarianism. The 
study of these will be found most rewarding. 
They are Nos. 6, 9 and 10 in the series entitled 
"Memorable Sermons," printed by the A. U. A. 
for free distribution. 

Striking Sayings. 

Man cannot escape the fact that he is essentially 
a religious being. M. J. Savage. 
Noble conduct is the most beautiful, persuasive 
and inspiring thing in the world. In other words, 
our natures answer to God's nature. C. F. Dole. 

Lesson II. 

Scriptures. Compare the views of the "heathen," 
as expressed in such passages as 2 Chron. 33:2; 
Ezra 6:21; Ps.9:i5; with a contrary view shown 
in Jesus' parables of The Good Samaritan (Luke 
10:30-37) and of the Last Judgment (Matt. 
25:31-46). Note also Jesus' sayings in Matt. 
8: 5-12; Mark 9: 38-41; John 10: 16 (note espe- 
cially the reading in the R. V.). 

Hymns. Note how frequently hymns express 
breadth of view coupled with intensity of faith. 
See especially, in the Hymn and Tune Book: 
29. O God, our God, thou shinest here. 
452. One holy church of God appears. 

42 



NOTES 



Tracts. Many of the A. U. A. tracts deal with or 
illustrate the underlying principles of our faith. 
Nos. 58, 89, 91, 98, 119, 210 and 280 will be found 
especially helpful. 

Books. The attitude of mind which should lie 
back of specific beliefs is admirably set forth in 
C. C. Everett's essay on Reason in Religion, in 
his "Essays, Theological and Literary." Emer- 
ton's "Unitarian Thought" and Martineau's 
"Seat of Authority in Religion" should at least 
be made known to pupils. The statement of 
belief on page 112 of Dole's "Catechism" is 
admirably adapted to illustrate the nature and 
need of a right point of view. 

Great Sayings. The opening verses of Pope's 
Universal Prayer, Tennyson's The Higher Panthe- 
ism, and the closing stanzas of In Memoriam will 
be found illuminating. 

Lesson III. 

Scriptures. Passages used in connection with 
Lesson II apply here as well. The Bible nowhere 
speaks of itself as a whole. Rev. 22: 18, 19, refers 
only to the book in which it occurs, not the whole 
Bible. 2 Tim. 3: 16, if read in the Revised Ver- 
sion, means that all really inspired writing, 
wherever found, is helpful. For the normal 
humanity of Jesus, see Luke 2:48; Matt. 
13:55-58; Matt. 19: 16-17. 

Hymns. Several of those already used, and 

216. 0 thou great friend to all the sons of men. 



43 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



441. Eternal One, thou living God. 
453. Light of ages and of nations. 

Tracts. 

47. What think ye of Christ? Stopford A. 
Brooke. 

69. Modern Biblical Criticism. C. H. Toy. 

85. The Bible in Theology. W. W. Fenn. 
160. Is the Bible Infallible? J. T. Sunderland. 
213. The Jesus of the Gospels. J. Estlin 
Carpenter. 

279. Why "The Leadership of Jesus"? A. M. 
Rihbany. 

Great Sayings. Emerson's The Problem, and 
Whittier's Our Master, and parts of Lowell's 
The Cathedral illustrate and enforce the teachings 
of this lesson. 

Lessons IV. and V. 

These two lessons are so related that the same 
references apply equally to both. 

Scriptures. God in nature, recall the passages 
referred to in notes on Chapter I; God in life, 
Job 13:15; Ps. 73:16-17; Ps. 75:4-8; 84; 91; 
Matt. 7: 15-20; Matt. 25: 31-40; John 4: 23-24; 
1 Cor. 10:31; and many verses in the eighth 
chapter of Romans. 

Hymns. 

42. O Thou whose power o'er moving worlds 
presides. 

49. God of the earth, the sky, the sea. 
73. O Love divine, whose constant beam. 

\ 44 



NOTES 



75. Go not, my soul, in search of him. 
108. I cannot find thee. Still on restless 
pinion. 

284. I look to thee in every need. 

Tracts. A convincing and brilliant presentation 
of the thought of God as revealed in nature is 
found in Dr. Calthrop's "God," Tract 68. In 
Tract 89, Dr. Martineau treats the same theme 
philosophically. See also Channing's statement, 
Memorable Sermons, No. 6, pages 13-19; 
Crooker's, Tract 2, pages 24-26; and Crothers's, 
Tract 98, pages 14-17. Other helpful tracts in 
the list are Nos. 135, 180, 210. 

Lesson VI. 

Scriptures. As the main argument against the 
Unitarians has been Biblical, it is well to note a 
few facts. 1 John 5:7, long regarded as con- 
clusive proof of the Trinity, is not in the Revised 
Version, since scholars agree that it is a late 
addition. Matt. 28: 19 is now known to be a 
baptismal formula originating long after Jesus 
died; it does not say that those three are "one," 
or imply any unity between them. The great 
Hebrew declaration, Deut. 6:3-9, was ne ^ to 
by all loyal Jews, including Jesus and his disciples. 
1 Cor. 8 : 6 states explicitly the doctrine of the 
apostles. 

Hymns. One of the finest testimonies to the 
power of our Unitarian faith is the fact that it 
has expressed itself so wonderfully in song. The 
Hymn and Tune Book is thus our finest state- 

45 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



ment of faith. See, for example, the following 
hymns by Unitarian authors: 

John Milton: 113, 383, and especially 
20. Let us with a gladsome mind. 

Sarah Flower Adams: 

287. Nearer, my God, to Thee. 

Sir John Bowring: 90, 194, 260, 499, and especially 
1 2.1. God is love, his mercy brightens. 
213. In the cross of Christ I glory. 

Edmund Hamilton Sears: 

189. Calm on the listening ear of night. 
191. It came upon the midnight clear. 

Theodore Parker: 

216. O thou great friend to all the sons of men. 

John White Chadwick: Ten hymns; see especially 
294. O Love divine, of all that is. 
473. It singeth low in every heart. 

William Channing Gannett: Six hymns; see 
especially 
6. Bring, O morn, thy music. 
65. He hides within the lily. 

Samuel Longfellow: Twenty-six hymns; see 
especially 

49. God of the earth, the sky, the sea. 
46 



NOTES 



372. Go forth to life, O child of earth. 
453. Light of ages and of nations. 

Frederick Lucian Hosmer: Thirty-four hymns; see 
especially 

74. One thought I have, my ample creed. 

75. Go not, my soul, in search of him. 
295. 0 Thou in all thy might so far. 

Lesson VII. 

Scriptures. Many churches inscribe Biblical 
verses on their walls. If your church does so, or 
if any church in your neighborhood does, the 
suitableness of such a motto may be discussed 
with profit. What Scripture passage would the 
members like to see adopted by their church as its 
motto? Such a passage as Matt. 10:5-6 may 
mean narrow sympathies or natural preference of 
your own group as the centre of loyal attachment. 
Many verses already referred to in these notes 
express that breadth of view which is so admirable. 

Hymns. The class may be interested to note 
what hymns are most frequently sung in their 
church, as these suggest the trend of its thought, 
perhaps also of its activities. Are they songs 
of reflection or of activity? of penitence or of 
praise? of trust or of brotherhood? What 
hymns do they prefer, and what one, if any, would 
they choose for their church hymn? or Sunday- 
school hymn? or Y. P. R. UVhymn? or class hymn? 



47 



A MANUAL FOR THE CONFIRMATION CLASS 



Tracts. At this point the Bulletins of the Depart- 
ments of Religious Education and of Community 
Service, and the Church Efficiency Pamphlets 
will be found especially useful. They show the 
wide range of possible church activities, and sug- 
gest ways in which the local church, perhaps 
through the activity of the members of the con- 
firmation class, may become of greater value to 
its own members, to the community in which it 
is situated, the denomination of which it is a 
member, and that better social order which the 
Church Universal is set to promote. 



48 



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